Mary sang for Frederik

Billed Bladet (no. 23, 2008) reports that Mary sang for Frederik at the party she organised last weekend. As they were walking in to the party: “I very much look forward to the party but I don’t know much about what is going to happen. It has been my wonderful wife who has arranged the party, so it’s all pure surprise for me. And I very much look forward to see what is going to happen,” smiled Frederik, as yet uncertain about what awaited him.

“Actually Frederik doesn’t know anything about the party. It’s going to be a surprise,” was the word from Mary, who smiled secretively.

She had created a long surprise party for Frederik when he celebrated his 40th birthday in the Orangery in Fredensborg. Without his knowledge she had arranged it all and planned a number of festive events for the entertainment during the evening.

But the best and most moving of them all was when Mary herself stood up next to the piano, played by Chris Minh Doky (husband of Mary's lady-in-waiting Tanya), and sang a ballad for her husband. Mary had practised hard on the song prior to the party. She had got help with the lyrics from Jarl Friis-Mikkelsen while the melody had been composed for the occasion by Bent Fabricius Bjerre (2). Some time before the party the Crown Princess had a CD with the song so that she could practise in the car when Frederik wasn't with her. The hard work was well spent because all the guests were deeply impressed with how beautifully and clearly Mary sang. To stand up boldly in front of almost 200 people and sing such a personal song once again shows how much Mary loves her Frederik.

The song was far from the only surprise Frederik got during the evening. Mary had also ensured that beautiful blooming waterlilies had been placed in water basins at the entrance to the Orangery. At 7:00pm all the guests ate the delicious birthday cake. Mary had Crown Princess Victoria’s sweetheart, Daniel Westling, as her partner at the table while Frederik sat with a mate from high school.

Crown Prince Frederik was also celebrated by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit from Norway and Crown Prince Philippe from Belgium, who had shown up in a festive mood...And of course Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik were present too. The Prince Consort gave both a moving and funny speech to his son, for which he received a lot of applause.

After some cosy hours in the Orangery the entire party left at 11:00pm to move on to the next part of the party. The music corps of the Royal Life Guards played marching music in front of the guests, who all marched arm in arm and in a great mood over to Kancellihuset where a dance tent had been erected in the backyard.*

Even though several big names in music had been hired, it was friends who first paid tribute to Frederik from the stage. With Peter Heering as compare, the female section of the circle of friends stood up on the stage first and then the male section followed.

Friends sang, among other things, a funny and festive song specially composed for the occasion. The tune was from the Backstreet Boys’ great hit 'I Want It That Way' with special lyrics written for the occasion. And the new interpretation of the hit was received with great enthusiasm and cheering. The enthusiasm didn’t diminish when Anne Linnet floored everyone with her love songs 'Tusind Stykker' and 'Du er så smuk og dejlig'.

After a short break it was Lars H.U.G. who entertained and he did that with songs including 'Hvorfor er lykken så lunefuld', 'Natsværmer' and his interpretation of the children’s lullaby 'Solen er så rød mor'. Later Frederik’s good friend Alex Nyborg Madsen, with his band Led Zeppelin Jam rocked away (Frederik jammed with them on harmonica last December), while Henning Stærk ended it all with his special voice.

The young ones couldn’t get enough of partying and went at it all the way until five in the morning (after sunrise), while the older generation gave up a bit earlier. One of the first couples to leave the party were Susan and John Donaldson who went home to their pillows at around 12:30am. * there was a tabloid report that some neighbours in Fredensborg had complained about the noise (based on a Billed Bladet's story by Marianne Singer and Trine Larsen)

And a huge thank you to 'our' Muhler!